OutFoxed: Ink
by GreyTail
Summary: Based off of Hazeleyes180's Outfoxed series. Naruto is a bad-ass
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first piece of fanfic, and its a fanfic for a fanfic. Based heavily on Hazeleyes180's excellent Outfoxed series, so if you're confused go read that first. Naruto is a bad-ass, has a sharingan and more. some [AnkoxNaruto]. It's sort of like a movie, so not really relevant to canon.

Let's see if we can get Hazeleyes180 to notice this fic and reignite their writing passion!

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The sun beat down on Konohagakure, a haze of heat rising from the ground as the people bustled through the streets, eager to get out of the blistering sun. Uzumaki Naruto staggered down the middle of the street, slouched over as he panted, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, lines of sweat dripping from his face.

"Why is it so hot?" he moaned, swaying from side to side as he stumbled along the road.

_**I don't know what you're talking about,**_ a voice echoed through his head, the image of a petite dark-skinned woman flashing across his vision, her golden eyes sitting above a mischievous grin as her thick dark hair that stretched to halfway down her back swayed behind her in an unseen breeze, _**It's positively lovely where I am.**_

"Shut up," Naruto whined aloud as he ran a hand through his golden blonde hair, the sweat slicking it back against his scalp, "It's so unfair. I'm even getting sweat in my eye-patch."

To emphasise the point, the young man lifted the bottom of the angular black eye patch that covered his left eye, a large amount of liquid trickling out down his cheek, making it look like he was crying.

_**Oh, quit your bitching**_, Kurama growled, _**This weather is perfect for conditioning your body for surviving in heated environments. What would you do if you had to fight next to an active volcano, or in the middle of a forest fire? Ask the enemy to give you a break so you can go have an ice lolly and sit in front of the fan?**_

"That sounds perfect," Naruto mumbled, grinning stupidly as he chuckled to himself, his foot catching on the back of his own heel, sending the Genin falling flat on his face.

_**Kami dammit, look at you,**_ Kurama sighed, _**Tripping over your own feet just because of a little heat.**_

Naruto gave a quiet groan as he lay face down on the scalding dirt, too exhausted to push himself up.

"Ano, Naruto-kun?" the soft feminine voice came from above his head, the blue-eyed shinobi forcing himself to roll over, looking up at the two concerned faces above him.

"Aah, there are clouds that look like Hinata-chan and Ino-chan. How pretty," he mumbled as the two girls glanced at each other, giggling at the blond.

"Naruto-kun, it's really us," Ino laughed, crouching down beside him, "Here, drink this."

Naruto shot up as the cold surface pressed against his face, grabbing the bottle of water from the startled girl's hand and draining it immediately.

"Haaaa!" he gasped, "I'm alive again!"

"Jeez, did you forget to take a bottle of water with you when you went training this morning?" Ino sighed, standing back up as the young man got back to his feet, "I told you it'd be hot today, you should have taken extra."

Naruto grinned as he looked at his two girlfriends, both currently dressed in civilian clothes as they had the next few days off. Ino was wearing a plain, but tight, cream coloured t-shirt, the hem seeming to hover tantalisingly just below her navel as she moved, and a pair of very short, very orange shorts, reminding him of the old track suit he had worn throughout his time at the academy. Her usual ponytail had been twisted into a slightly messy bun, giving her a more mature appearance than usual, a look that definitely suited the platinum blonde in Naruto's opinion. Hinata was wearing a very cute sky-blue summer dress, hemmed with white lace, which ended half way down her calves. Her long dark purple hair had been folded up against the back of her head, and was being held in place with a large hairclip. Despite her outfit being so modest, Naruto found the clothes strangely erotic on Hinata, the simple dress emphasising her feminine curves. Both girls were wearing strap sandals and carrying large, but stylish, bags, probably full of bottles of water, as well as paper parasols which they each held over one shoulder, shielding them from the worst of the sun.

"Yeah, I would have, except my _tenant_," he spat the last word, glancing to the side as if there were someone there, "Wouldn't let me. Something about stress training and forcing my body to go beyond itself."

"Tenant?" the new voice made Naruto freeze, his head ticking mechanically sideways to stare at the pink haired girl standing beside his two girlfriends.

"S-Sakura-san! What are you doing here?" he stammered, the girl looking at him in confusion.

"Getting ice cream with Ino and Hinata, you know, my friends?" Haruna Sakura replied, raising an eyebrow at the stiff bodied blonde. Like the other two she was wearing civilian clothes, a light blue sleeveless top and pale-yellow shorts that reached halfway down her thighs and sandals. Her long pink hair was tied back in a high ponytail, similarly to Ino's usual look, lifting it off her neck.

"Ah, you look cuter with your hair up," Naruto muttered, letting out a startled shriek as the ice-cold water splashed against his face. Shaking his head, he froze, a shiver running up his spine as he turned to see Hinata and Ino glaring at him, their eyes in shadow as they smiled sweetly at their boyfriend, the angry ticks above their heads pulsing in unison.

"Ano, it seems you're still quite dehydrated, Naruto-_kun_," Hinata sighed sweetly, raising the tone of her voice slightly on the last work as she clenched a half crushed plastic bottle in her hand.

"Unless there's something you want to _tell_ us?" Ino chimed in, clenching her own fist in front of her.

"Oh, just forget about it!" Sakura suddenly laughed, startling the three of them, waving her hands dismissively in front of her, "The baka probably meant nothing by it. Besides, I have Sasuke-kun. Anyway, who's this 'tenant' you were talking about? Isn't your apartment only one bedroom?"

"Ah, well," Naruto stammered, a flash of inspiration suddenly coming to him, "Anko-cha-! I mean Anko-sensei! She's over at my place so often to check up on me these days that it's like she's staying there!"

"What's this about me?" a voice asked behind Naruto as the owner leant against his shoulder. Mitarashi Anko looked at the four startled Genin in confusion, a sly smile quickly stretching across her face "What? I definitely heard my name, right? Are you talking about me behind my back?"

"No, no!" Naruto and Sakura spluttered in unison as they immediately darted back, waving their hands in front of them as they stood perfectly straight, their entire bodies going white as their eyes turned into round white circles.

"Eh, whatever," Anko chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders, "Anyway, come on rookie, since you're here you can treat me to some dango."

_**Naruto.**_

"Dango? In this weather?" Naruto sighed, "Do you have heat stroke or something, Anko-sensei?"

_**Naruto!**_

"How rude," Anko mock gasped, grinning at the confused male, "Come on, doesn't everyone say that the best thing to eat when it's hot is something spicy? Well, the shop down the road is debuting its new curry flavoured dango! And I have to try it!"

"_C-curry flavoured dango_?" the four Genin said in unison as they stared at the triumphantly posed woman, a dark blue fog hanging over their heads as they shuddered in unison.

_**NARUTO!**_

_What?!_

_**I'm sensing…something, nearby. It's dangerous and already inside Konoha.**_

_What? Where? _Naruto immediately looked around, surprising the other women, "Hold on, something's up. I'll be right back."

He pressed his hands together and muttered the release phrase "Kai", the resistance seal on his body immediately releasing. The four women blinked as the young man suddenly vanished in front of them in a blur of speed.

**A short distance away**

Naruto landed in the middle of the street, looking around frantically.

_Where is it?_

_**There, to your left.**_

Naruto spun around and froze, staring at what looked like a large box that seemed to be arguing with a man outside a large, gaudy looking shop.

"I'll prove it to you then!" the box shouted, suddenly spinning around, the man attached to the other side staring directly at Naruto, "You! Do you know Fuinjutsu?!"

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, dark grey hair framing what could have been a handsome, if dishevelled, face. A single lilac eye glared at the other man in front of the shop, his right eye covered by an eye patch made of a golden coin held in place with a thin strip of leather. He was dressed in grey and white travelling clothes, the front covered with an assortment of colourful ink stains. Over it all he had a large number of belts and harnesses, each covered in various sized pouches, all of which appeared to be full to bursting. And on his back, attached by a pair of rope loops, was a large wooden crate that looked like an oversized, old fashioned medicine box, the bottom barely hovering above the ground, while the top stood at least two feet above the young man's head.

"I…yes," Naruto replied, taken aback by what he was seeing.

"Excellent, come here," the strange man beckoned him over, expertly pulling a small table out from the side of the comically large wooden box on his back, quickly setting it up and unfurling a scroll across it, "You know how to make a basic storage seal, right? Here, use these two inks."

Naruto took the brush from the strange man, hovering it over the first of the two pots of ink. He made to dip the brush in, but stopped, looking up at the other man, obviously a shop owner, and the shop behind him.

"Ah, sorry, but it's pointless to do this," he suddenly said, both older men staring at him in confusion, "This uncle is notorious for watering down his inks and selling them at a "reduced" price, making a tidy profit in the process."

"Hah! I knew it!" the stranger yelled, pointing accusingly at the fat, balding man, whose face was getting increasingly redder by the moment, "You're lucky I don't write your name on a gravestone, you old cheat!"

Naruto watched as the grey-haired man scooped up everything on the table and slipped it all into one of the pouches, before expertly sliding the table back into its hidden compartment in the box. The other man had already stormed back into his store, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she landed on the ground behind him, Ino following closely behind, "What happened? Was there a problem?"

"Huh? Oh! No, seems it was a false alarm or something," he replied sheepishly, "What about you two? Weren't you going to get ice cream, the line will be long today, won't it?"

"Oh, Sakura said she'd hold a place for us," Ino laughed, "She told us to make sure you weren't breaking anything."

"What? I would nev-," Naruto started.

"Naruto-san, huh?" the arm wrapped loosely around his neck, interrupting the blonde as the man leant heavily against Naruto's shoulders, "Nice to meet you! I'm Ninichi Shineko, but you can call me Ko-san. I'm a travelling ink artisan making my way through Konoha at the moment, thanks for helping me expose that cheat back there!"

"Ah, yeah," Naruto replied, unsure of the man's strange behaviour, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Huh, Uzumaki Naruto," Ninichi repeated the name, standing silently for a moment as he smiled, "I'll do well to remember that. Here, a thank you gift."

The man grinned as he pressed an ink stick into the confused blonds hand, before he readjusted the massive box on his back and strolled off down the street, whistling a strange tune to himself as the three Genin stared after him in confusion.

**An Unknown Location**

"You sensed him, my Lord?" the looming figure spoke flatly, his hulking shoulders dwarfed by the size of the massive room the two stood in.

The shadowed figure opposite smiled in the dark, turning to look at his most loyal retainer. The figure watched as the man stood perfectly still, used to his lord's silent inspections. The man was massive, seven feet of bulging muscle, dressed in a simple set of grey and white sleeveless robes that showed off his thick arms. The only strange thing about his was his skin, gunmetal grey across his body, except where it darkened slightly on his fists and feet.

"It's such a pity he ran off like that," another figure, a woman this time, chuckled as she emerged from the shadows behind the hulking man. She was slim and elegant, her kimono covered in a spiderweb pattern the same colour as the larger man's robes, her beautiful face split by a black line down the centre, "It would have made creating the seal array go so much faster if he were still with us."

"It doesn't matter," the soft voice made them both start, a look of fear flashing across their faces as their master turned away, his lilac and gold eyes flashing in the dark, "We know where he is, and where he is going. It is only a matter of time."

**Several Days Later, Naruto's Apartment**

Mitirashi Anko watched as the blonde squinted, carefully, but skilfully, dragging the thin brush across her wrist. The two of them were sitting on the couch in Naruto's small apartment, facing each other as he worked. She swallowed slightly as he finished, grinning to himself as he grabbed the three throwing stars from the nearby table, pressing them against the seal with a little chakra. The weapons sank easily into her skin, with the only evidence of them ever having been there the kanji for 'shuriken' that appeared on her pale skin. It was obvious that Naruto had been practicing his Fuinjutsu recently, in this case the easy to use storage seals that could be painted on a person's body, allowing them to store small items or weapons.

"You really went overboard this time, gaki," Anko chuckled, immediately stopping as the blonde glanced up at her, his face deadpan.

Anko desperately fought back the laughter that was building in her stomach as her friend, student, and love interest glared at her. His arms and legs were covered in various seals, each bearing the kanji for various, apparently random, household items, if the large "feather duster" symbol on his left cheek was anything to go by. She could also make out the edges of some larger seals painted onto his chest and stomach that peeked out from under the skin tight black tank top he was wearing, her eyes lingering on one that had been exposed when the hem of his shirt had slipped up his impressive abs, reading "canned beef". She sighed as she tugged at the collar of her own white tank top, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Sorry for trying to improve my skills, Anko-_sensei_," he muttered, the last word dripping with sarcasm as he shifted his grip up her arm, pulling it closer before returning to his work.

Anko felt her breath catch in her throat as she was pulled closer to the young man, swallowing quietly as she immediately turned her head away, staring at the clay pot on the nearby coffee table. She silently thanked whoever had given Naruto the wisteria that twisted their way up the four short wooden stakes, hoping that the pleasant but powerful smell of the flower would be enough to hide her rising arousal from his incredibly sensitive nose. She bit her lip as she felt him slide his hand further up her arm, a slight tingling running along the places his hand touched. She audibly gasped as she felt the warm sensation of his chakra push something else into her skin, sending a shiver up her spine.

"Anko-chan?"

"Yes?!" the jounin jumped at the informal suffix, staring wide eyed at a slightly worried looking Naruto, "W-what is it?"

"Nothing," he replied slowly, "Just making sure you were okay."

"Oh yes! Fine! Perfectly fine!" the usually confident kunoichi laughed forcefully as she jumped to her feet, grabbing the large glass of juice off the coffee table and quickly chugging it, spluttering as she choked.

"Woah, calm down," Naruto laughed as he jumped up behind her, gently patting her back, "That juice isn't going to run away."

"Hmm," Anko sighed, looking down at her soaked shirt, her purple bra clearly visible through the damp fabric, smirking to herself when she saw Naruto obviously trying to look in the opposite direction. Grinning to herself, she decided to take back control of the situation, and maybe tease the blonde a little in the process.

"Oh no," she mock gasped, pressing a hand gently to her cheek as she all but waved her sizable chest in front of the blushing Naruto, "It looks like I've managed to completely ruin this shirt. But I can't go home to fetch another looking like this, I'm completely exposed. Whatever shall I do?"

"H-here!" Naruto spluttered as he hurriedly threw a shirt at her, Anko smirking at his bright red cheeks, turning her back to him as she slowly slid the damp shirt up her body, shaking her hips slightly as she did.

"No peeking," she chimed cutely, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth as she winked at the blonde over her shoulder, tossing the wet shirt back over her shoulder before pulling on the one he'd thrown at her.

She burst out laughing when she turned back to look at the boy. Naruto was standing stock still as he faced the opposite wall, her top having landed directly on top of his head, now covering most of his face. She doubled over, pulling the new shirt up to wipe at the tears forming in her eyes, freezing as she felt a warmth rush through her body. Looking down, Anko stared at the black t-shirt, quickly recognising it as the one Naruto usually wore for his morning training, yet to be washed if the smell of his body and sweat slowly rising off of it was anything to go by.

"Ah! Well! Look at the time! Have to go! Things to do!" Anko blurted out suddenly at the still motionless Naruto, spinning on her heel she marched towards the door, "Remember, mission briefing tomorrow. Meet at the Hokage's office, first thing!"

Anko slammed the door behind her as she shot past two surprised house wives gossiping in the hallway outside one of the nearby apartments. They watched as she walked robotically down the hallway, raising their eyebrows at the obvious bright orange spiral on the back of the slightly too large shirt she was wearing.

"Do you think they finally…?" one whispered to the other.

"Oh no," the second woman sighed, waving a hand in front of her face as she watched Anko disappear into her apartment, "Not yet, anyway. Such a sad story, those two."

"Yes, so sad," her companion agreed, nodding sagely.

**Inside the purple sisters' Apartment**

"Hey Anko-chan, it go well with Naruto?" Uzuki Yugao called as her adoptive sister and room-mate burst into their shared apartment, blinking as the younger woman speed walked straight past her and into her bedroom, turning sharply on her heel before violently slamming the door closed behind her.

"Yes, then?" the off-duty ANBU agent said flatly, staring at the door for a few seconds before turning away with a shrug, muttering to herself, "So sad."

In her room, Anko fell face first onto her half-made bed, letting out a frustrated scream into the crumpled fabric. She pulled her arms up to her chest as she rolled over onto her side, staring at the wall for a while. Thoughts raced through her head as she tried to calm herself down, desperately not wanting to have to admit needing a cold shower. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine something horrible, something that would kill her arousal. A pale, thin face formed, Orichimaru appearing in her head, making the purple haired woman almost gag, before forcing herself to focus on the vile, androgynous face. A familiar smell wafted into her nose, and suddenly her former mentor was being violently kicked in the face, sent flying away almost comically as Naruto appeared in front of her.

Anko's eyes shot open as she sat up on her bed, glaring down accusingly at the t-shirt. Grabbing the hem, she made to yank it off, stopping at the last moment before glancing at her door, a thought drifting through her brain. Swallowing nervously, she gripped the collar of Naruto's shirt, lifting it slowly to her face as she closed her eyes.

The smell of his body overwhelmed her as she inhaled, shuddering as powerful bolts of pleasure shot through her body. She let out a shaky breath before breathing in again, the image of the attractive teen filling her mind, drawing closer to her, looming over her, wrapping his arms around her. Anko gasped as she felt a burst of pleasure between her legs, clenching her thighs together as it tingled up her back. Slowly, she slid one of her hands down her body, the other pressing the collar of the shirt closer against her face.

Outside, Yugao glanced up from her book, staring at her roommate's door and shaking her head at the familiar sounds coming from behind it. Sighing, she pulled a pair of ear plugs out from a side table, pressing them into her ears as she returned to her book, muttering to herself again.

"So very, very sad."

**The next morning, Hokage's Tower**

Naruto stretched as he walked down the plain hallway, letting out a satisfied groan. He swung his arms around slightly as he quickly re-checked himself, inspecting his gear one last time before he arrived outside the Hokage's office to receive his latest mission.

He was dressed in his custom-made shinobi gear, consisting of a form fitting dark blue jacket with a white fur collar, and crimson, tiger-stripe like accents across the back and shoulders, with his Konoha forehead protector acting as the neck clasp. This covered a short-sleeved mesh armour over a black muscle shirt. His legs were covered by a pair of dark blue ANBU-style pants tucked into well maintained black combat boots, with a pair of black utility belts holding a number of small pouches at the sides for scrolls and several larger pockets on the back for other items hanging from his waist. A black leg holster, filled with several shuriken and kunai, including a few 'special' ones he'd been working on, sat halfway up his right thigh. A pair of dark blue and crimson sleeve armours completely covered his forearms, ending in fingerless gloves at his hands. The outfit was completed by the dark blue samurai styled 'kusazuri' and 'sode' armour pieces, specially designed to be slimmer and lighter than normal for shinobi use, which hung loosely from his hips and shoulders respectively, a crimson Uzumaki spiral painted on each of the armour segments. A quick pulse of chakra let him know that the storage seals on his sides that held his sabres were still active and functional without activating them.

Smiling to himself as he remembered the stunned looks of the few civilians wandering around the streets this early in the morning as he'd walked past, he reached into his jacket, pulling out a small metallic object. He carefully slipped the custom-made forehead protector over his head, the long fang like protrusions on the bottom framing his face as his hair was pushed back slightly, giving him the look of, according to Ino and Hinata at least, a "refined beast", whatever that meant. He quickly grimaced as he adjusted the forehead protector, remembering the numerous times he'd tried to put it on quickly, only to stab himself in the face with the protrusions, much to Kurama's amusement. He may have to go back to the standard style if it kept happening. Shaking his head as he finally approached the Hokage's office, Naruto was surprised to see three other Genin waiting outside.

"Sakura-san, Sai, what are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked the equally surprised members of Kakashi Hatake's Genin team.

"Receiving a mission from the Hokage," Sakura explained as she stood up from her seat, smiling in greeting at Naruto. She was dressed in her usual shinobi outfit, consisting of a deep pink coloured dress with short sleeves and wide slits over her thighs, trimmed with thick white lines, and hanging over a pair of dark blue knee length spats. A dark blue leg holster was attached over some bandages, to prevent slipping, on her right thigh. She sported the standard issue blue ninja boots, and had her forehead protector tied across the top of her head, acting like a hair band for her long, light pink hair, her bangs hanging down past her shoulders.

Sai was standing silently beside the door to the Hokage's office, and turned to face Naruto with his usual obviously fake smile. He was also dressed in his usual outfit, his tight grey and black jacket ending just below his ribs, with the left sleeve cut short, black fingerless gloves and his ninjato on his back. He also wore a tight pair of black pants, held up by a thin black and white striped belt, with a small tan pack hanging from the back, probably filled with various scrolls, inks, and brushes, along with a worn out old book that he was strangely possessive over. His black leg holster clinked slightly from his right leg as he stepped back to his original position, all expression fading from the face below the forehead protector across his forehead.

"A _C-rank_ mission," the third member of their team sneered, glancing up at Naruto from his position leaning against the far wall, the blond snorting in surprise at Sasuke Uchiha's apparent new look.

Instead of his usual all black and bandages outfit, Sasuke was wearing what Naruto could only describe as a blatant copy of his own outfit. A black leather jacket, with a large Uchiha fan sown into the back and a ridiculously high collar that almost reached the bottom of Sasuke's eyes, covered a dark red shirt with a tomo design on the front, obviously to emulate his clan's Sharingan. He also wore long black ANBU-style pants over a pair of black shinobi boots and had a number of pouches hanging from the thick dark red belt at his waist. He even had his own 'kuzasuri" and 'sode', although only on his left shoulder and thigh, in black with the Uchiha fan engraved on each segment, and a matching arm guard on his right arm. His usual duck butt hairstyle stuck out from the black fabric that held his forehead protector in place. The most ridiculous thing about the outfit, however, was his leg holsters. He had two of them. One on each leg. And what appeared to be a bowie knife strapped to his right calf.

_**Overcompensating much?**_ Kurama muttered from the back if Naruto's mind, making the blonde laugh aloud.

"I know, it seems pointless to copy someone who is just as dickless as yourself, doesn't it?" Sai said flatly, his fake smile reappearing as he commented on Naruto's amusement at Sasuke's outfit.

"Eh, mimicry, flattery," Naruto said dismissively as he shrugged, shaking his head before replying to Sasuke, "Turns out I'm here for the same thing, _teme._"

Sasuke flinched at the use of Naruto's academy nickname for him, scowling at the blond, stepping forwards just as the office door swung open, a lazy eyed ninja poking his head out.

"You can come in now," Kakashi Hatake droned, eye smiling at the four, "All of you."

Naruto stepped towards the door as the Jounin disappeared back into the office, stopping short when Sasuke darted in front of him, glaring at the blond for a few seconds before stepping through the door. Naruto rolled his eyes as the boy walked past, holding the door for Sakura and Sai before entering himself.

"Morning Hokage-jiji," he said casually as he walked in, glancing over at the purple haired Jounin standing to the side of the Hokage's desk, surprised by the tired look in her light brown eyes as she stifled a yawn.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," The wrinkled face of Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled at the young man from beneath the peaked rim of his large red and white Kage hat.

"Ah! You should speak to the Hokage with more respect, Naruto-san," Sakura scolded the blond as Sasuke continued to glare daggers at him.

"It's quite alright, Haruno-san," The old man chuckled as she fussed, "This is simply a cursory mission briefing before you go meet the client. We can afford to be friendly for the moment."

"You give him too much free-," Anko yawned halfway through her words, blushing slightly as the room stared at her in surprise, "Freedom, Hokage-sama."

"Hmmm," the Hokage hummed, his face suddenly going serious as Kakashi handed him a scroll, "Your mission is to escort the client to the Land of Tea, south of Konoha. The client is an important artisan that fears he may be targeted by bandits or thieves. Due to them being a civilian, it should take you a little over a week to reach the borders of the Land of Tea. Once there, you will hand the client over to a mercenary group hired by a powerful local Lord before returning to Konoha. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama/jiji!" the four Genin said in unison, Naruto almost doubling over when Sakura's elbow jabbed him in the ribs.

**Shortly after**

"Any ideas on who this artisan is?" Naruto hummed as he walked beside the three other Genin, the four of them following a short distance behind Kakashi and Anko as the Jounin talked in hushed tones.

"No clue. Oh, maybe it's a famous fashion designer!" Sakura gasped, her eyes flashing with excitement, images obviously flashing through her mind.

"Maybe it is an ink maker," Sai commented, making Naruto smirk at the thought of the strange young man he'd met the other day.

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke growled from behind his ridiculous collar, "We're here to do a job, not gossip."

"Jeez, _teme_, you're no fun anymore. Oh wait, you never were!" Naruto laughed loudly as Sasuke glared at him over the top of his collar.

"Be quiet, we're here," Anko sighed as she lightly chopped Naruto on the back of his head, the force still able to knock the teens head forward, "So, where is the client, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmmm?" the droopy-eyed ninja looked around slowly as he pulled out the mission scroll, glancing over it once again, "All it says here is to ask the gate guards for a large wooden box, then knock three times."

The five ninjas stared at the masked man in silence as a sweat drop formed over each of their heads.

"I'm sorry, what?" Anko sighed, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked around, "You mean that box?"

The six ninja all looked at the large wooden crate sitting conspicuously beside the guard house, the two Genin inside seeming to pay it no heed. Kakashi shrugged, walking up to the crate and while looking at the scroll, gave a rhythmic knock against the worn wood.

"One moment!" the muffled voice echoed slightly as the sound of clinking glass and quiet swearing came from inside the box, making the group look at each other in confusion, jumping when a hidden door popped open on the side of the box, a familiar figure clambering out of the small opening, "Ah, Uzumaki-san, good to see they got my request, I take it the rest of you are here to help as well?"

The other four all looked at Naruto as he stared at the strange ink artisan he'd met a few days earlier, a new collection of ink stains having found their way onto the front of his clothes.

"Request?" Sasuke spluttered, glaring at Naruto again, "Why'd you ask for _him_?"

The man seemed to ignore the genin's comment as proceeded pick up the massive box with surprising ease, adjusting it on his back before turning to the group.

"Hello, my name is Ninichi Shineko, but you can call me Ink-san," he bowed low, the box swinging wilding through the air as he did so, forcing the ninja to take a step back, "I hope we can get along for this journey."

"Hmm," Kakashi sighed, looking back down at the scroll, "So you specialise in chakra inks? Why are you heading to the Land of Tea then?"

"Oh, I have a client there who pays well for high quality inks," Shineko laughed, patting the box on his back, "I'm going to deliver them to him."

"Wouldn't it be safer to send them by courier?" Sakura asked, "If you're scared of bandits then why go yourself, Ink-san?"

Shineko shrugged, making the entire box on his back bob up and down, "I like the tea."

The four genin almost face faulted at his simple admission, the artisan suddenly spinning on his heel to face the gate, "Well, enough talking, let's go!"

**Several days later**

"…Of course, plant ash is a good substitute when creating a simple ink, but nothing beats high quality charcoal. Now, when making chakra ink it's an entirely different story…" Ninichi Shineko talked animatedly as the group of seven walked calmly down the road, having encountered almost nothing except other travellers so far, his massive medicine case like box swinging haphazardly on his back, as both Sai and Naruto enthusiastically took notes, thick coke bottle glasses perched on their noses.

"Would you shut up?!" Sasuke hissed, "You've done nothing but talk about ink for the past three days!"

Shineko stopped, spinning on his heel to look at the scowling Uchiha. He returned the boys glare with an innocent look, before smiling widely and slapping a hand hard onto the surprised genin's shoulder.

"**No**,"

The single word made every single member of the group stop, the venom that dripped from it managing to send a shiver down the spine of even Kakashi. The ninja all looked at the slightly goofy ink artisan they'd been travelling with, who spent every night hidden away inside his box, emerging each morning covered in more ink stains, a bright smile on his face and enthusiasm in his steps.

"Listen kid," he continued, Sasuke fighting desperately not to wet himself under the sudden pressure being exuded from this unassuming man, "I like ink. I _trust _ink. It's simple, interesting, and doesn't betray you if you know what you're doing. I don't trust a single one of you. You're getting paid to do a job, and I can trust Konohagakure's ninja to do their job properly, but I don't trust any of you. Least of all a snot-nosed simpleton who doesn't appreciate the lesson's I'm teaching."

"W-what lessons?" Sasuke managed to stutter, "All you've done is prattle on about ink!"

"And what are your scrolls written with? Your fuinjutsu drawn with? Ink can save your life, in more ways than one. Disrespect ink again, and I'll write your name on a tombstone, understood?"

The pressure suddenly lifted as Shineko released Sasuke's shoulder, spinning on his heel again before hopping forwards a few steps, stopping to look back at the stunned group of nin.

_**Naruto. **_Kurama spoke for the first time this trip, her extended silence having unnerved the young man.

_I know, I felt it too._

_**He definitely released Bijuu chakra just then. I can't tell what, but here was something off about it. **_

"Well?" the ink artisan called out with a happy grin, "Let's get going! At this pace we're going to be late!"

"Ink-san…" Naruto started as he half jogged to catch up to the man,

_**Naruto!**_

The blond snatched the kunai out of the air as it shot towards his face, instinctively throwing it back in the direction it had come.

"Defensive positions!" Kakashi ordered, the four genin leaping to surround the surprised artisan as the two jounin scanned the surrounding trees. Silence filled the air, not event the birds chirping as the six ninja tensed up.

"Well well, seems one of the kids has some talent," A female voice floated down from the branches.

"Don't toy with them, Kumori," A tired male voice sighed from somewhere else, "We're just here for the ink maker."

"Oh, but he looks positively _delicious,_"

Naruto shuddered at the last word, Kurama growling in the back of his mind.

_**I don't like this; I can't sense them at all**_

_That's bad_, Naruto replied, tapping the side of his eyepatch with a bit of chakra, releasing the seal on the sharingan hidden beneath, _I'm not seeing anything either._

_**Ready yourself, Naruto. They're obviously strong, and we can't afford to lose the ink maker now**_

The blond nodded, sending a pulse of chakra to one of the seals on his side, releasing two of his sabres in a quiet puff a smoke, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.

"The dark haired one is also quite nice," the female voice continued, "Handsome face, and so much hatred, he'd be quite tasty too."

Naruto heard Sakura growl slightly beside him, pulling a kunai from her holster.

"Just shut up and grab him," the male voice sighed again, "I'll handle the rest."

The air flickered in front of his before the sickening crunch of his ribs breaking surprised Naruto, the iron like fist of the grey skinned man digging into his sternum, pain shooting through his body as he was tossed aside. Kurama was already pumping her chakra into his body as he hit the ground, the pain making his vision flash white as he struggled to his feet, watching in horror as the man, his steely grey arms moving with terrifying speed, struck both Sakura and Sai on the temples, both crumpling to the floor in a heap. Sasuke barely blocked the strike to his stomach with a kunai before being launched backwards as though he'd been hit with a sledgehammer, slamming into a tree and falling to the floor unconscious. Naruto forced himself to get to his feet as the man looked back over to him, letting out a dissatisfied sigh as he stepped towards the wobbling teen, raising his fist.

"Just go to sleep like the rest," the man sighed, Naruto glancing behind the hulking figure.

What he saw terrified him. Kakashi was bound to a tree by thick layers of thread, struggling to get free, while Anko hung limp in the arms of a strange woman, blood dripping from her neck. He felt the rage boiling over in him as he desperately tried to draw one of his blades, the man already above him, fist raised.

"**NO!**"

The shout rang out, the pulse of chakra forcing the man to pause for a moment as the ink maker suddenly appeared in front if Naruto, brush raised, painting a seal in the air just before the fist fell. There was a sound like iron hitting rock as his fist connected with the floating ink, then the man was thrown back several feet, forced to dig his heels in to stop.

"Why'd you have to get involved, Shineko?" the man sighed, shaking his head as he took a step forward, "Just come back with us, our leader will forgive you."

"I am not that man's puppet, Hagane!" the young man shouted back, drawing another seal in the air. Naruto could make out the kanji for fire before the ink maker struck the back of the symbol with the palm of his hand, unleashing a torrent of bright blue flame against the strange iron fisted man.

The flames dispersed, revealing the man, his whole body now glowing red like heated iron, an annoyed look on his face.

"I'm going to ignore that," He sighed, stepping forwards again, Naruto reacting immediately.

The blade of his sabre slammed down on the hard skin of the man, bouncing off as it had hit a block of solid steel. Naruto didn't let up, drawing his second sabre and unleashing a torrent of strikes against the man in quick succession, managing to force him back several steps, but dealing no real damage.

"ENOUGH!" Hagane suddenly roared, throwing his arms wide, forcing Naruto back, before charging forwards like an angry bull.

Naruto just barely managed to dodge as the swung his arms shut in a massive bear hug, one that would have crushed the teen if he hadn't jumped over his assailant.

_**Naruto, try that. It's our only chance at damaging him!**_

The urgency in Kurama's voice forced Naruto to act. Swinging his sword down in a wide arc, he sent a pulse of wind natured chakra down into the blade, the edge humming for a moment, before clashing with the man's raised arm. An unholy screeching filled the air as blade met arm, a moment of resistance before the blade passed through the iron flesh, a small spurt of blood spraying from the slight wound.

"Huh," the bulky man grunted, stumbling back, looking at the cut on his arm, "So this is pain."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto panted, glaring at the man.

"It has been many years since I last felt pain," He stated calmly, "Well done."

Naruto didn't have time to react as the man suddenly flickered, the blonde launching himself forwards, his blade passing through empty air. A moment later a heavy fist slammed into his back, the only thing keeping his spine from shattering the coating of dark red chakra across Naruto's back. The Jinchuuriki staggered to his feet, about to raise his swords when the massive hand closed over his face, squeezing painfully down on his skull.

"Stop! I'll go with you! Just let them go!"

The squeezing stopped, Naruto able to make out Shineko through a gap in the man's massive fingers, arms held up, his brush dropped to the floor. The huge man grunted, seeming like he was going to drop Naruto for a moment, before slamming his fist into the teens stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision as Naruto collapsed on the ground, unable to react as Shineko followed the two stranger's into the forest, pausing only to look back at the near unconscious teen, his eyes darting down to his discarded brush, before turning away and vanishing.

**Three hours later**

Naruto coughed through the mouthful of road dust as he gasped awake, immediately jumping unsteadily to his feet and looking around wearily. Once it was clear there was no sign of the two attackers from before, only the still unconscious genin and jounin lying on the road around him, he relaxed slightly, looking around again.

_Kurama, how long was I out?_ The still groggy teen half mumbled in his mind, shaking his head to clear it, dragging the three genin to the side of the road.

_**It's been about three hours, I barely managed to protect you from the man's strikes with the chakra shroud**_Kurama growled, _**I've healed everything that was broken, but it was like he was hitting you with a lump of iron.**_

_Tell me about it, what about them?_ Naruto nodded to the unconscious group as he carefully picked up Anko, grimacing at the large red swelling on her neck.

_**I don't know, but that pink haired one is quite skilled at medical jutsu, so she should be able to fix them up, **_Kurama sighed, _**Right now I think it's more important to heal your snake woman.**_

_Right,_ he sighed as he lay Anko carefully against a tree, _Wait, MY snake woman?_

_**Never mind that, **_Kurama interrupted the boy's train of thought, _**she's been badly poisoned. We have no idea how long the poison will last, but we may be able to flush it from her system if we use **_**that**_** technique.**_

Naruto paused, looking down at the unconscious woman in his arms.

_**I understand your hesitation, Naruto,**_ Kurama said in a surprisingly comforting voice, _**But we need her awake. These people are too strong to take out alone.**_

Naruto simply nodded, carefully laying Anko down against the tree before slipping off one of his gloves.

_I still don't like the idea of injecting your chakra into others, it's hard enough for me to control it._

_**Which is why we give it one task, flush out the poison. It should only take a few minutes for me to understand how it works. Now quit bitching and lay your hand over her heart.**_

Naruto gave a quick nod, kneeling beside the unconscious purple haired jounin.

**Inside Anko's Mind**

Anko floated in the pure black void, unable to move as she fought against the cloying sensation against her skin. It felt like thousands of crawling strings were stuck to her body as she tried to force chakra into her system, her own natural resistance to poison barely managing to keep her aware of what was happening. A warmth spread from her back and thighs as she felt herself being lifted, carried somewhere, her throat tightening as thoughts began to run through her head.

Who were they? What were they doing? What were they going to do? Was Naruto alright? She hadn't seen him fall when the unknown woman had grabbed her. She shuddered at the thought, how had she been so careless? The enemy had appeared right in front of her and sunk her fangs into Inko's neck before she could react. She felt someone touching her chest, the warmth carefully pressing against her chest for a moment. Suddenly, blazing heat shot into her chest, an eerily familiar sensation spreading through her body as a point of bright red light formed in front of her.

_No. Not this. Anything but this! _She screamed in her mind as she realised why the invading chakra felt familiar, _He already freed me! I won't go back!_

The heat blasted over her, melting away the threads that had held her, her hand instinctively grabbing for a kunai as light flooded her eyes.

"ANKO-CHAN!" the shout cleared her addled mind, staring into the blond-haired blue-eyed face in front of her, her kunai pressed against his throat, barely held back by the strong hand grasping her wrist.

"Na…ruto?" she managed to slur as she looked around, the rest of team seven still unconscious around her, though off to the side of the road.

"Sorry, it must have scared you," he whispered as he pulled her in to a tight hug, the woman shuddering for a moment as she realised what had happened. She just slipped her arms around his neck, dropping the kunai uselessly to the ground, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You're safe," she muttered, pressing her face into his neck, "Thank kami you're safe!"

The two of them sat like that for a while, before Naruto pushed back, both their faces a little red as they realised what they'd been doing.

"I'm going to wake the others up now, then I'll tell you what I saw," he mumbled, shifting over to beside Kakashi.

Anko could only nod, pressing her hand to her chest, the now strangely comforting warmth still burning inside her.

It took him a few minutes to rouse Sakura, who immediately ran to Sasuke's side, muttering to herself as she ran her hands over his chest and stomach. Once she was satisfied, she moved on to Sai and Anko as Naruto worked to cut the thick layers of thread that bound the still unconscious Kakashi to the tree.

"Thanks," the man sighed as the final threads fell away, startling Naruto as he stretched.

"How long have you been awake?!" Naruto gasped, glaring at the grey haired jounin.

"Couple of minutes," the man eye smiled, "I certainly didn't see you touching a certain jounin on the chest just now."

"I had no choice!" Naruto blustered, stepping back, "It was the only way to clear the poison."

_**And vicious poison it was, **_Kurama cut in, making Naruto shudder, _**It had closed off almost all of her chakra coils and was slowly restricting her breathing, almost like it was trying to send her into a coma.**_

"It's fine," Kakashi chuckled, patting the blond on the shoulder, before becoming serious, "First things first, we need to regroup and find out where they took Ink-san."

Naruto nodded, glancing back at the discarded brush lying in the middle of the road. Leaving Kakashi to check on the three genin, he walked over to it, picking the strangely heavy writing implement off the ground.

_**Naruto**_

_I can feel it too, Kurama,_ the blond replied, _He left a small amount of bijuu chakra on the handle._

Carefully, as though he were handling a bomb, Naruto checked the rest of the brush, finding nothing of interest, before twisting the handle. It unscrewed easily, surprising the blond as he removed the brush head, a roll of paper wrapped around a dense core of chakra metal sliding out of the handle. The paper was slightly yellowed, as if it had been inside the brush for a few years.

_Almost like my swords_, he mused, unrolling the paper, his eyes going wide.

"Kakashi-sensei! I think I know where they're going!"


	2. Chapter 2

Well that went better than expected. Thanks to everyone who gave a fave and follow. I appreciate the support.

**An Unknown Location**

The three figures walked through the dark and twisting hallways, two of them silently flanking the third, his arms tied tightly in front of him.

"Still at the old base, huh?" Shineko muttered as the steely grey skinned man shoved him forwards, "Looks like you've done some renovations."

"Silence," Hagane growled, shoving the ink maker again, "Just be glad we didn't burn your box of tricks."

"You'd never do that," he chuckled, drawing a glance from the steely faced man, "To many important secrets inside."

Hagane just growled again, yanking the ink maker down another path.

They'd been walking for about thirty minutes before the three stopped before a large wooden door, Hagane knocking surprisingly softly against it.

"Enter,"

The single word sent shivers up Shineko's spine as they entered. The room was a massive dome, empty except for a single large stone throne on the far side, a figure lazing on it in the shadows.

"Shineko, so good of you to join us," the strange youth said flatly as he rose from his seat, stepping into the dim light cast by the few torches that surrounded the room. His clothes were almost identical to Shineko's, excluding the ink stains and many belts, his hair a similar dark grey, though pulled back in a tight ponytail. The two could have easily been mistaken for brothers. He grinned maliciously as he walked towards the other man, his gold and lilac eyes flashing for a moment as he stopped in front of the bound ink maker.

"Not by choice," Shineko spat, straining against his bindings, "I want nothing to do with your madness, Kuro!"

The two glared at each other for a time, before the younger man gave a tired sigh, looking off to the side of the chamber in disappointment.

"And even after we let you run around outside for a few years," he sighed, looking back to the older of the two, reaching up and placing a finger on the golden coin over Shineko's eye, "Do you not remember what the Cloud did to us? To you? Infusing us with that demon's essence?"

He stopped, looking at Shineko with disdain before turning away.

"Of course not, you were their success. You barely suffered compared to the rest of us. When we escaped, we swore revenge against the cloud, but you…you wanted to let them be, to live alone. To abandon us!"

"I wanted to be free!" Shineko shouted back, his voice falling to a whisper, "I didn't care about revenge because I wanted to be free! I wanted everyone to be free!"

"And they will be," Kuro whispered as he grabbed Shineko by the chin, "As soon as we punish Kumogakure."

"There's no need. Not anymore," Shineko muttered, looking away, "Top belt, left pouch, open the scroll,"

The two stood in silence for a moment, Kuro's hand flashing across the man's ink stained chest. He inspected the scroll for a moment, before tossing it to the ground, the paper rolling open to reveal several highly complex storage seals.

"Open them," Shineko murmured, looking away as if in shame.

Kuro glanced over to Hagane, who nodded, the grey skinned hulk, a small bandage now wrapped around his arm, moving over to the scroll. A moment later five heads appeared in a puff of smoke, Kuro's eyes going wide as he looked at them.

"There, happy?" Shineko said quietly, still looking away, "These are the heads of the men who did this to us. No need to go after the village for your revenge now."

The four of them stood in silence for a moment, before Kuro walked over to the five heads, picking one up and inspecting it.

"You went to Kumogakure?"

"They had no idea who I was at first. They didn't care," Shineko sighed, "When I found them, those men…they welcomed me. Even after I told them who I was. They apologised. They offered their heads to quell your anger, Kuro. They died honourably to protect their village."

"Heh," Kuro chuckled, tossing the head to the floor, "And that's enough, is it?"

Shineko looked at his friend, fear creeping into his eyes as the young man approached him again.

"And that's enough for you?!" Kuro shouted, blue flames starting to burst to life across his skin, "What about me? What about Saku? And Ina? And Jo? What about everybody else?! They gave their lives too!"

"What?" Shineko stuttered, staring in horror as Kuro was engulfed by the blue flame, "What did you do, Kuro?"

"I did what had to be done! After you left, we talked. As the second most powerful, it was decided that I would be the one to carry out our will. I have taken their souls into myself, Shineko. They gave up their lives so that I could carry out our will!" he roared, the flames swirling around him as dark spirals began to form within the flames, "To destroy Kumohagakure! To avenge the injustice that was done to us!"

"You killed them?" Shineko muttered, staring at the flaming man in front of him.

"They died f**or our revenge!**" the flames coalesced around Kuro, forming into a humanoid figure as he stepped towards Shineko again, a pair of wispy tails forming behind him, "**And with this damned power, I am going to destroy them!**"

The room echoed with his shout, the occupants standing still as the two young men started at each other, one wreathed in bright blue flames, the other standing silently. The flaming figure's head suddenly twitched to the side, as if he'd heard something.

"**Kumori, Hagane, it seems we have some unwanted guests,**" he chuckled, stepping back from Shineko, "**Why don't you go welcome them.**"

**Outside the hidden base**

"How do we know this is the right place?" Anko asked, eyeing the small cave in front of them.

The six nin were hiding in the trees on the edge a small clearing, watching a small cave in the side of a mountain. They'd just arrived when Naruto had felt a surge of chakra from inside the mountain itself, immediately stopping the others before they entered.

"I can feel his chakra inside," Naruto growled next to her, Kurama reacting to the oppressive feeling of the bijuu's chakra from inside him.

_**Naruto,**_ Kurama said quietly, _**There are two sources of chakra inside. The ink maker isn't hiding his anymore, probably so we can find him, but the other one…**_

_I can feel it too, it's much stronger_ the blonde replied, cracking his neck as he readied himself, glancing back at the other five ninjas.

Sakura and Sasuke seemed nervous, shuffling slightly on their branches, while Kakashi and Anko were calm, Sai, hanging back behind the rest of the group, had his usual expressionless face on, seemingly unaffected by what was happening.

"We're going to have to go in," Anko said quietly, eyeing the cave entrance, "There's no knowing what's inside."

"Hmm," Kakashi hummed as he hopped to the branch beside Naruto, glancing over at the teen, "Thoughts?"

The other three Genin watched in surprise as Kakashi seemed to defer to Naruto, the blond simply nodding before he spoke.

"I can only sense two sources of chakra inside, one big, the other is Ink-san. We have to assume that the other two that attacked us are inside as well," he muttered, glaring at the entrance, "We have no idea about the layout, their true numbers, or their true intentions, but we have a job to do."

"Ink-san may not trust us," Sakura cut in, her voice quavering slightly, "But he trusts Konoha's ninja, right?"

"Exactly," the blond grinned back at the pink haired girl, turning to face the cave again.

The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stood on end, a shiver running down his spine as he leapt instinctively, the massive grey fist appearing from nowhere and slamming into the tree he'd been standing on moments before. The trunk shattered under the assault, showering the other ninja with splinters.

**Inside the base**

Shineko struggled against his bindings as Kuro dragged him through the twisting corridors, slamming his feet against the ground as he tried to get traction. He let out a tiny pulse of chakra from his heel as his captor glanced back, a look of disdain on his face.

"Leaving a trail?" Kuro hummed as he stopped outside a small door, pushing it open as he tossed Shineko inside, "Useless. Those children and their teachers will be dead soon enough."

Shineko shivered at Kuro's words, forcing himself upright as he watched the younger man walk into the room, a snap of his fingers igniting the surrounding torches with blue flame. Shineko's eyes went wide as he saw this, another shiver running up his spine.

"That was Jo's skill," he murmured, watching as Kuro walked calmly around the edge of the room, "What did you do, Kuro?"

"What did I do?" the man chuckled, moving to the centre of the room, "I did nothing. WE did this!"

The torches flared, lighting the room to reveal a complex seal painted across the floor and ceiling, Shineko's eyes going wide as he inspected it.

"The Soul Consumption Array?" Shineko gasped, looking back at the manically grinning Kuro, "How? Why? This seal is…"

"Forbidden jutsu? Yes," Kuro finished, chuckling as he approached the ink maker, "Of course it would have been far easier if you'd been with us, but you decided to run away. Like a _coward_."

The last word dripped with venom as Kuro grabbed Shineko by the collar, dragging him towards the centre of the seal.

"And now I'm going to take what you refuse to use, Mr. perfect sample," he hissed before throwing him back to the ground, "Take what is rightfully ours."

**Outside**

Naruto flipped over the grey skinned man, barely dodging his punch as the ground cratered beneath his fist. The sound of metal striking metal rung in the air as several kunai bounced off the hulk's shoulders, drawing his attention for a moment.

"Naruto! Everyone! Go!" Kakashi called, nodding towards the cave entrance, "I'll handle this one!"

Naruto nodded back, darting towards the cave after the others. The massive man leapt towards them, only dodging back as one of the sabres sunk into the ground in front of him, the edge of its blade still vibrating.

"Just you and me, big guy," Kakashi drawled at the stoic man as the other nin disappeared inside the cave, "Let's go."

**Inside**

The four ninja ran through the twisting corridors as quickly as they could, pausing only to allow Naruto to pick up the barely noticeable trail of chakra the ink maker had left.

They turned a corner and suddenly found themselves a wide domed room, a sweet scent permeating the air. Naruto barely spotted the slight shine of the thread that hung across the room as they darted across it, unleashing a fireball against it.

"Oh, you're no fun!" A voice called out, the sing song tone echoing in the large room.

The four of them watched as a woman, dressed in a grey and white kimono covered in spider web patterns strolled out of the shadows, her face split by a thin black line down the centre.

"But I suppose that won't matter soon anyway," she chuckled.

Anger burned in his chest as Naruto recognised the woman that had poisoned Anko, taking a step forwards, stopping when the purple haired jounin held up her arm.

"We've got this," Anko said quietly, nodding towards Sakura, "You go get Ink-san."

Naruto hesitated for a second, glaring at the woman again, before nodding, grabbing Sai by the arm and half dragging him through the exit.

"Oh," the woman laughed, looking at the two other women, "Normally I don't like women, but love does have a particular taste to it."

**Outside**

Kakashi panted, leaping back from another of the apparently tireless man's assaults. The ground was pitted with small craters, each formed when he'd smashed his fists into the ground.

His foot bumped up against something as he stepped back to ready himself, his eye darting to the hilt of the sabre still embedded in the ground.

"Stop your useless running," Hagane sighed, rolling his shoulders nonchalantly, as though preparing for some light exercise, "You have already lost."

The kunai struck his cheek, making him glance over to the small figure crouching in the bushes, Sasuke shivering slightly at the empty glare.

"Huh, another one," he sighed, stepping towards the genin, "I'll just get rid of you first."

The bulky man twitched, stepping back as the long blade swung in front of him, Kakashi sliding himself between Hagane and Sasuke.

"Leave my student alone!"

"Huh, you have one of the other brat's swords," Hagane hummed, "Not that it will do you any good."

Kakashi stabbed the blade into he ground, quickly going through a series of hand signs before snatching the blade up again.

"**Chidori**," he said flatly as the chirping electricity began sparking along the edge of the blade.

**Inside**

Anko leapt sideways as the woman swiped her arm, barely avoiding the sharp claws that tipped her fingers.

"So, you recovered from my poison?" Kumori hummed cheerfully, swiping again, "That's a first. Usually most end up comatose. All the better to eat them, of course."

"I have powerful friends," Anko growled, avoiding the second attack and throwing a few shuriken at the women, who didn't even react as they suddenly stopped in the air.

"Oh, the blond boy?" Kumori chuckled, "Yes, he will be tasty. I only hope that Hagane will leave enough of the black haired one for me as well."

"Sharanu!" the war cry caught both of them off guard as Sakura suddenly appeared beside the jovial woman, her face the image of rage as she slammed her fist hard into her, Kumori barely being able to block the strike with her arm, throwing her back.

A cry of pain echoed around the chamber as she came to a sliding stop, clutching at her arm as a blue ichor began dripping down the appendage.

"You little bitch!" she spat, her jaw suddenly splitting as a pair of spider-like fangs descended from her mouth, "I'll kill you!"

**Further inside**

Naruto paused outside the room with the massive doors, able to feel the remnants of the bijuu chakra inside. He growled slightly at the oppressive force, Sai beside him taking a step back.

"Which way now?" the expressionless boy asked, looking around the featureless corridor.

"Here," Naruto said, noticing the small spot of chakra on the floor, stronger now. Ink-san was probably getting desperate.

**Kakashi vs. Hagane**

"As I thought," Kakashi chuckled, his arms hanging tiredly by his sides, "Your power stems from the earth element. A perfect match up for me."

"You think this is enough to defeat me?" the grey skinned man growled, tensing his shoulders as he stepped forwards again, the electrified blade slashing at his face, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake, "No matter the pain, I will protect MY MASTER!"

His massive iron fists slammed into the ground, shattering the ground where Kakashi had stood only moment before, several more red lines appearing on his arms as he spun to follow the moving jounin.

"Only knowing how to strike from the shadows," he grunted, several more wounds appearing on his body as he tried to hit the faster ninja, "Typical of your kind!"

On the last word, he spun around, snatching the blade from mid-air, wrenching it from the surprised Kakashi's hand and throwing it aside, the blood pouring from his palm.

"Without your little toy, how can you hope to face me now, ninja?" he chuckled, Kakashi stepping back into a defensive stance, "I will crush you!"

"**Chidori!**" Kakashi hissed as he stared the other man down, his hand erupting into a burst of chirping electricity.

"Very well," Hagane sighed, hunkering down as he raised a fist, "Come at me."

Fist and fingers clashed as the two launched themselves at each other, the lightning chakra forcing the iron fist back for a moment, before Hagane managed to push back. The lighting sparked up the length of his arm, making him roar in pain. The two men glared at each other, each trying to force the other back as the sparks continued onto the larger man's chest, his arm starting to shake.

A final snap echoed through the room, followed but a sickening crunch that marked the end of the battle.

Hagane stared at his destroyed arm, a slight grin inching its way onto his face as his blood poured out of the gaping wound.

"I have failed," He chuckled, stepping backwards, swaying from side to side, letting the destroyed arm fall to his side as blood poured from the wound "It…hurts, I think."

Kakashi watched as the man collapsed backwards, his face going pale as he lost consciousness. Sighing, the silver haired jounin, fell to his knees, clutching his broken hand and letting out a low hiss.

"It's up to you, Naruto."

**Inside the Seal Room**

Kuro walked calmly across the room, drawing various symbols along the edge of the massive seal.

"I'm sure you know this, but a Jinchuuriki dies when you try to extract the bijuu sealed within them. The stress is too great for the body to handle, and so it dies," he said calmly, drawing another symbol, "But what of the soul? Surprisingly, it passes on. Without a body to hold it, it simply re-enters the cycle of reincarnation and has the chance to be born again."

"What are you getting at, Kuro?" Shineko asked, unsure of if he actually wanted the answer.

"But what of us, Shineko?" the pony-tailed man continued, "What of false Jinchuuriki who have the very essence of the beasts fused to their souls? What happens when you draw the power out of us?"

He paused, standing to look at the ink maker, his eyes going cold.

"You rip out our souls. That's what happens."

The two men were silent for a moment before Kuro retuned to drawing.

"Of course, the reverse is true as well. Rip out the soul, and you remove the bijuu power with it. This led us to an interesting hypothesis."

Shineko shivered as the other man continued, "What if you consumed the soul? Could you absorb the power of the bijuu as well? The answer," he paused again, "Is yes."

**Anko vs. Kumori**

Anko launched herself at Kumori, swiping at the woman with her kunai several times before jumping back, the other woman easily dodging each strike.

"You won't hit me, girl," she hissed, mandibles clicking together as she waved a hand through the air, several thin threads glimmering in the gloom, pulling them taut as she stepped forwards, "I have you exactly where I want you."

Anko tried to dodge, her body suddenly unresponsive, she realised that she was wrapped up in countless threads, the familiar sensation on her skin making her shudder. Unable to move, she could only watch as the other woman slowly approached, toying with her.

"Do you know why I fight?" she asked, taking another step, "Because of love. I love the Master. I love him so much! Do you even know what it is to love, child?"

Anko winced, her chest going tight at the words.

"Oh?" Kumori laughed, "You do? Or perhaps not. Unrequited? Forbidden, maybe? Who is it? A man back at your village? No. The blond boy, perhaps?"

Anko twitched again, trying to free her arm as the other woman drew closer.

"Ah, yes, him," Kumori let out a quiet growl, "He shall taste divine after the master has destroyed him,"

Anko released a burst of chakra from her arm, managing to loosen the threads enough to strike out at the approaching woman. Kumori laughed as she easily snatched the hand, her lower jaw splitting again, unfolding to reveal the pair of spider-like fangs, dripping with poison. Anko had no time to react as Kumori sunk the fangs into her arm.

The blinding pain she felt burned under her skin, but it was nothing compared to the feeling in her chest. The warmth in her chest built up to a staggering level, threatening to engulf Anko in its heat, before rushing into her arm. Erupting within her, the dark red chakra exploded from the wound, the other woman shrieking in pain as she was forced back, the rest of her face splitting open to reveal a hideous spider-like head. She released the threads as she tried to pull the burning chakra from her maw, screaming and cursing as it burnt away the poison in her fangs. Anko seized the opportunity, freeing herself before pressing her fingers against the mark on her left arm, the same one Naruto had painted almost a week earlier. Kumori shrieked again as the kunai imbedded itself in the middle of her chitinous head.

"Bitch!" the spider woman screeched, reaching for the kunai as the dark red chakra began to fade, "You'll have to do more than that to kill me!"

"No," Anko chuckled, holding her hand in a half ram seal, "I won't, KAI!"

Anko shouted the word as loudly as she could, praying that what Naruto had told her had been true. The seal wrapped around the handle of the kunai suddenly ignited, a condensed flame blasted almost half a metre backwards out of the handle as the blade began to heat up, smoke rising from Kumori's burning shell. The spider woman gave a last shriek as the end of the kunai suddenly exploded, launching the molten blade deeper into her skull. Kumori's body staggering back and forth as she tried to move towards Anko, before collapsing to the floor, the massive hole in her head still smoking.

Sighing in relief, Anko fell backwards, all her energy spent. Looking up at the ceiling of the room, she grinned to herself as she spoke, "Go get him, Naruto."

**Inside the Seal Room**

"Done," Kuro sighed as he began walking towards the centre of the room, towards Shineko, "Finally, our plan, our revenge, is nigh."

"Kuro," Shineko whispered, the tears falling from his eyes, "Why?"

"Why?" the man growled, blue flame starting to flicker across his skin, "Now you ask why?! To destroy Kumohagakure! That is all! And I will succeed! With or without you!"

"No, you won't!"

The words echoed around the chamber, drawing both of their attention to the blond-haired young man standing in the doorway, a crooked grin on his face.

"This explains the weird feeling I was getting from you, Ink-san," Naruto chuckled, his face going dark, "So you're a false Jinchuuriki, huh?"

"Naruto, I-,"

"No need to explain, I know all about it," the blond cut him off, drawing his sabres as the red chakra began to envelop his whole body, three tails forming behind him, "In fact, I probably know more about it than the two of you!"

"A true Jinchuuriki," Kuro breathed, the flames surrounding him flickering for a moment, before solidifying around him, "**No matter! I shall defeat you! Take your power as my own! Just as I did with the others! I WILL DESTROY KUMOHAGAKURE! I WILL HAVE OUR REV-,"**

The uppercut cut him off guard as the handguard of the sabre dug into his solar plexus, knocking the air from his lungs. Kuro barely had time to gasp as the blond launched him up, slamming the flaming man into the ceiling, a large crater forming around him in the solid stone. Naruto immediately launched himself up after the stunned man, slamming into him, the roof shattering under the force as the two blasted through the ceiling, leaving a sizeable hole in the stone.

Shineko jumped as he felt a blade slide past his hands, the pale faced genin slicing the ropes that bound him away.

"We have to help him!" Shineko gasped, quickly standing, pausing when the stoic boy laid a hand on his arm.

"No, we have to keep you safe."

**Above the Hidden Base**

Blue flames erupted out of the ground, scattering charred dirt and wood across the thick forest. Kuro roared as he flipped in the air, landing lightly on the ground, watching as the three dark red tendrils gripped the edge of the hole, lifting Naruto's three-tail form out of the ground.

"**What do you hope to achieve with this?**" the flame cloaked man growled, stalking around the calm teen, "**I'm going to destroy a rival village, you should be helping me!**"

"Me?" Naruto laughed, casually spinning one of his sabres in his hand, "I'm just doing my job."

Kuro growled, darting forward with a wide swipe. Naruto easily dodged the feint, snatching Kuro's other hand by the wrist before he could land his actual attack. The dark red chakra and blue fire hissed and sizzled as they touched, the flames quickly being pushed back. Stepping back, Naruto twisted the arm up, lifting Kuro into the air with ease, before slamming him heavily to the ground. Kuro tried to snatch at Naruto's ankles with his free hand, the teen bringing his foot down on the attack with a sickening crunch, the man crying out in pain.

_**Oof, **_Kurama said in Naruto's mind, _**I almost feel sorry for him.**_

_Really? You heard what he did in there right?"_

_**I said "almost".**_

A series of pops and cracks came from Kuro's hand as he pulled yanked it out from under Naruto's foot, thick white smoke rising from the previously broken limb. He swung up viciously, sending out a plume of blue flame, forcing Naruto to jump back. Staggering to back to his feet, Kuro launched himself forwards, aiming powerful flaming swipes at Naruto's head and stomach. The teen flipped back, landing on the side of a tree, before bouncing off, another flaming claw slamming into the wood where he'd been standing a moment before.

"**I'm going to kill you,**" the flame wreathed man growled, his shoulders slumped, his lilac and gold eyes burning with hatred.

"Is that all you can say?" Naruto poked fun at the furious man, "Just kill, kill, kill?"

Kuro let out a roar as he launched himself at Naruto again, the teen deflecting one strike with his sabre, the other slamming into his chakra shroud. A massive burst of energy threw both men back, Naruto sliding only a few feet, while Kuro was launched back into the tree line, smashing straight through a thick trunk. Naruto panted slightly, surprised by the force behind the strike, his chakra shroud closing over the now exposed area. Kuro staggered back to his feet; his entire arm extinguished as he looked at it in shock.

"Looks like I'm stronger," Naruto panted, readying his sword as Kuro let out a furious howl.

The two launched themselves at each other, sword and flaming claw raised to kill.

**The cave entrance**

The explosion shook the ground as Sakura winced, apologising at the harsh gasp Kakashi gave. She was desperately trying to fix what she could in the man's shattered hand, setting the bone fragments carefully with her chakra, but the sounds of the massive battle happening so close to them was distracting her.

"Calm down, Sakura," Anko said softly, "We'll protect you while you work. You'll never be able to become a full fledge medical-nin if you can't work under pressure."

"Under pressure is an understatement, Anko-sensei," the pink-haired girl hissed under the oppressive force that pushed each of them into the ground, "What are they doing over there?"

"Fighting," a familiar voice said, all of them looking up as Ink-san and Sai walked out of the cave, "Fighting their hardest."

**Naruto vs. Kuro**

The area around them was in ruins, the trees shattered or burning, the ground dug up in huge trenches and gashes. The two men stared each other down from the centre of the destruction.

"**Why? What are you fighting so hard for?**" Kuro panted, his flames flickering slightly.

"Because I have to protect those I love," Naruto responded, drawing a pained hiss from the flame-wreathed man.

"**LOVE?! WHAT IS LOVE? I LOVED MY FRIENDS! YET THEY ARE STILL DEAD! I LOVED SHINEKO, YET HE STILL BETRAYED US! WHAT GOOD IS LOVE WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU ARE STILL ALIVE!**" Kuro shrieked, leaping forwards to strike at Naruto, the blond easily stepping around the exhausted strike.

"Plenty. I spent the first half of my life being hated," Naruto replied, slamming his fist onto the man's back, driving him into the ground, "But then I found my friends. My teachers. My family. I found a place to belong. I found real genuine love."

Kuro tried to get up, gasping as the blond slammed his foot into his side, cracking several of his ribs as he was thrown across the clearing.

"And I would do anything to protect it. To build it up. To make it stronger," Naruto continued, walking slowly towards the exhausted man, "But you. You only think about destruction. Your life is ruled by it. You destroyed the very friends you held so dear in your pursuit of destruction."

Naruto paused, thinking for a moment.

"You know what, you and I aren't all that different," he sighed, absentmindedly flipping his sabre in his hand, "We both fight for what we believe in. But what we believe in is different. It's actually kind of sad."

"**What **are** you **talking** about?**" Kuro growled, his flames dying.

"That we have to fight because of our differences," Naruto sighed, looking down at the gasping man, "I don't like it. Get up."

"**Wh**at?" Kuro gasped, barely able to stagger to his feet.

"I said get up. This is the last clash," Naruto growled, dropping into a combat stance, "Show me the strength of your convictions, Kuro."

"**GO TO HELL!**" the man roared, his body erupting in flame as he launched himself at Naruto.

The blond simply closed his eyes, picturing the man he'd developed his sword style from in his mind for a moment. The speed, the sharp precise movements, the killing intent.

A silver flash blinked through the air, Naruto suddenly standing behind Kuro, sheathing his blades as the blue flames extinguished, blood spurting from the wounds that now covered his body.

"I failed," Kuro gasped, falling to his knees, "I failed them all."

"Not all of us."

The voice caught the two off-guard, Shineko stepping out of the woods as he approached the two of them,

"I'm still here."

"Go to hell, Shineko," Kuro coughed, blood pouring from his mouth, "You got what you wanted! I'm going to die! And our revenge with me!"

"That may be so, but there is another way," the ink maker said softly as he picked up the dying Kuro, turning back to the hole through which they had emerged.

"What are you going to do, Shineko?" Naruto asked as the man walked towards the hole.

"I'm going to show them freedom."

**Three days later, on the borders of the Land of Tea**

Naruto sighed as he watched Kakashi talking to the group of mercenaries. The rest of their journey had been uneventful, except for the fact that Shineko had remained silent almost the entire way. It was strange to see the usually boisterous and loud ink maker so quiet and solemn. When they'd arrived at the border, he'd thanked each of them in turn, pressing an ink stick into their hands, though Naruto had noticed that Sasuke's was noticeably smaller. The ink maker was currently sitting a short distance away, staring up at the clear sky. Worried, Naruto approached him.

"It's done," Shineko breathed, looking over to Naruto, "They'll finally know freedom."

"And you?" the teen asked, walking over to sit beside the ink maker.

"I've been free for a while," he chuckled, looking down at the ground, "I didn't even notice. I suppose that's why they did what they did."

"You can't blame yourself," Naruto said quietly, watching the man carefully.

"I know, and I won't. Too many loyal customers to please. Oh yes, here!" Shineko held out a scroll to the young man, surprising him, "It contains some ink recipes that should help you with your Fuinjutsu."

"Thanks," Naruto took the scroll, smiling at the ink maker, who smiled back, "Does this mean you trust me?"

"Oh kami no, I only trust ink." The man laughed, the smile stretching across his face.

**Omake**

The plume of smoke erupted from the apartment window, making the citizens of Konohagakure look up at the expanding black cloud in surprise as a voice rang out in frustration.

Inside his apartment, Naruto sat in the middle of his lounge, the walls, ceiling and floor lined with plastic sheets as he grumbled to himself, wiping the black soot off his face and eyes. He gave a nearby scroll, somehow miraculously clean, a dirty look, before snatching it up and hurling it against the wall.

"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO READ THIS CHICKEN SCRATCH HANDWRITING!"

**While Hazeleyes' Naruto isn't really one for talk no jutsu, I felt that a bit of it brought a nice close to the story. Maybe Naruto saw another version of himself in Kuro and felt pity for him. Who knows? Certainly not me.**


End file.
